Shopkeepers Seek Right To Trade After Hours

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30128, 11 May 1963, Page 18

Shopkeepers Seek Right To Trade After Hours

The Aramoana ferry service had greatly increased traffic through Cheviot and enormously increased the demand for paper-back books and travelsickness pills, said Alexander Saville Robinson, partner with his wife, Roana Irene Mary Robinson (Mr H. J. B. Quigley I. as proprietors of the Cheviot tea-rooms. Robinson was giving evidence at a sitting in Christchurch yesterday of the Shops and Offices Tribunal (Mr H. J. Thompson, S.M.).

He was applying for exemption from the Shops and Offices Act, 1955. to sell paper-back books, tooth-brushes and paste soaps, tinned jams, stationery, sauces, hair oil. and travel-sick-ness pills outside normal trading hours in addition to his ordinary lines of confectionery, fruit, groceries, and magazines

The application was refused The Tribunal said there did not seem to be any exceptional circumstances warranting departure from the normal restrictions. The needs of travellers were well catered for by the exempted goods list.

The application was opposed by the Canterbury branch of the Chemists’ Service Guild (Mr J. A. Robertson), the Canterbury Master Grocers’ Association (Mr H. W. hunter). E A. Parr, chemist. Cheviot (Mr J. Macfarlane) and the Canterbury Shop Assistants' Union (Mr N. S. Wills).

The present list of exempted articles allowed him to fill only about half of many of the grocery orders he received from motel campers during the week-ends, said Thomas' , John Spang, governing director of Spang’s Foodmarket. Ltd (Mr Quigley), applying for partial exemption from after-hours selling restrictions. He was a chain away from the Abbott’s Park motor camp, and many of the campers arrived with almost nothing at the week-ends, expecting to be able to provision at the camp About 75 per cent, of his trade was to campers, he said. The exemption was requested for between 10 am. and noon, and 6.30 p.m. and 830 p.m. on Saturday, and between 10 a.m. and noon on Sunday.

Christine Sarah Bain and Colin Bain, proprietors of a shop at 186 Yaldhurst road (Mr I. C. J. Polson), near Spang’s Foodmarket made a similar application but requested authority to sell after hours on week days as well as at week-ends. The hearing was adjourned "by the Tribunal until he is again in Christchurch

Opposing the applications were I. J. McKenzie, a shopkeeper (Mr R. L. Kerr). Mr R. J. Hearn, a shopkeeper (Mr D. N. Hodgins), the Canterbury Master Grocers’ Association (Mr

Hunter), the Canterbury branch of the Chemists’ Service Guild (Mr Roberison). and the Canterbury Shop Assistants' Umen (Mr Wills).

Other Applications The Tribunal granted an application by Frank Owen Green, trading as New Brighton Motors (Mr P T. Mahon), for permission to close his business at 24 Seaview road all day on Wednesday at 530 p.m. on Friday, and trade between 9 a.m. and 9 pm on Saturday An application from a director of Amberley Tea Rooms. Ltd.. W. D H. Norrish (Mr Quigley), for authority to sell paper-back books after hours was disallowed.

It was necessary to apply uniform rules throughout the Dominion and there were no special circumstances in this case to justify exemption, said the Tribunal.

The application was opposed by the Canterbury Shop Assistants’ Union (Mr Wills).